Two minors aged 14 and 16 forced into prostitution and begging for alms in l'Hospitalet are freed

BarcelonaThey were from Romania but had been living for some time in a shack on a plot of land in the Poble-sec neighbourhood in Barcelona. They had no schooling and could neither read nor write. They are two underage siblings, a 16-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. Their family forced the girl to prostitute herself and the boy was sent to clean car windows to beg for alms in l'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The National Police and the Guardia Urbana of Barcelona have freed them in an operation in which they have arrested three relatives of the victims: one is their older sister and another their aunt.

The older sister also begged for alms in the street when the traffic lights turned red and took advantage of it to talk to drivers. She would talk to find potential customers for her younger sister. In order to force the younger sister to have sex, the family constantly threatened and assaulted her. During the police operation, officers seized a mobile phone with a long list of numbers. The officers are investigating whether it is a portfolio of clients. For the time being, three of the girl's regular clients have already been arrested for the crime of prostitution and corruption of minors, for having had relations with her.

In the custody of the DGAIA

As for the boy, he was forced to practice begging by cleaning car windows in the street from early in the morning until late in the afternoon. The money given to him by the drivers went into the pockets of the three arrested relatives. The family has been arrested for the crime of prostitution and corruption of minors and also for having acted against family rights and duties. The Spanish Directorate General for Child and Adolescent Care (DGAIA) has taken custody of the two victims so that they are protected from their environment.

The police investigation remains open to find more clients who paid to have sex with the minor.